Men’s Midweek Report: UCLA wins at Cypress Point

Welcome to Golfweek’s Midweek Report. We wanted to use this hump day to update you on all the latest college news and give you a quick glance at what to look ahead to this weekend.

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THE BIG 5

Stories you need to know now

TEAMS

1. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys made history last year, but not the kind they’d like. They missed the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1947. Oklahoma State’s win at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, which ended Oct. 30, was its first since May 2011, when the team won the NCAA Colorado Regional. The Cowboys arrived at Royal Oaks as the 16th-ranked team in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

2. Missouri: The Tigers fell short in their bid to join No. 1 Cal as teams that won all five of their fall tournaments. Missouri finished seventh at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, 11 shots behind Oklahoma State. Missouri, No. 17 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, had won its first four starts this season.

3. UCLA: The tournament doesn’t count in the rankings, but winning at Cypress Point is always nice. UCLA dominated the final match of the Stanford Classic at Cypress Point, beating Duke, 18-6.

4. New Mexico: The Lobos, the nation’s No. 3 team, made a late rally to salvage a second-place finish at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate. They were 11th (out of 14 teams) after the first round, and in seventh after the second round. They shot the low round of the final day, a 9-under 275, to move into a tie for second and live up to their high ranking. The Lobos have finished 1st-2nd-2nd in their past three starts (William H. Tucker, Isleworth, Royal Oaks). During those three events, the Lobos have beaten every team but one during the final round.

5. Oklahoma Christian: The Eagles, the 2009 and 2011 NAIA champions, posted a 52-shot victory at the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship. Now that’s domination.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Jace Long, Missouri: Long finished sixth at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate after shooting 77-64-68. He has finished in the top-10 in all five of his fall starts, including three wins. Royal Oaks began Oct. 29 in Dallas, just three days after Long won his first-stage qualifier of PGA Tour Q-School in nearby Lewisville. Long also finished first in his Q-School pre-qualifier site, giving him five victories in his past seven starts. Long will likely play second stage Nov. 13-16 at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. He is No. 10 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

2. Kramer Hickok, Texas: Playing Cypress Point is always memorable. Matching Ben Hogan’s course record makes it even more special. Texas’ Kramer Hickok shot 63 in a practice round for the Stanford Classic to match the course record set by Ben Hogan, who did it during the 1956 ‘The Match,’ former head pro Jim Langley, current head pro Casey Reamer and Adam Scott. Hickok had birdies at Nos. 1 and 4, an eagle on the par-5 5th and a bogey at the sixth hole. He shot 29 on the back nine after making four birdies (on Nos. 10, 12, 13 and 18) and an eagle on No. 11, according to the Monterey County Herald.

3. Finley Ewing, Texas Tech: Ewing made a 14-shot turnaround during the 36-hole day at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate, shooting 75-61. He finished third in the tournament, one shot behind the co-champions, after a final-round 71. Ewing made 11 birdies, an eagle and three bogeys in the second round. His 61 was the school and course record.

4. Other collegians at Q-School: Long wasn’t the only collegian to advance to Q-School’s second stage. North Florida’s Sean Dale and Stanford’s Andrew Yun also are headed to the second stage. North Carolina State’s Albin Choi and USC’s Anthony Paolucci failed to advance.

5. Cheng-Tsung Pan, Washington: Pan didn’t get to play with his Washington teammates at famed Cypress Point for the Stanford Classic, but he could get the chance to play another Alister Mackenzie gem. Pan is playing the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this week in Thailand. Pan, at No. 12 in the R&A World Amateur Ranking, is the second-highest-ranked player in the field. Two-time defending champion Hideki Matsuyama is ranked seventh. The tournament’s winner earns an invitation to the 2013 Masters.

WHAT’S NEXT

The skinny: They use a six-count-five format at CordeValle, the site of the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open. Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers will be in the field. He’s won two of three stroke-play starts this season, and is an early favorite for player-of-the-year honors.